This is the kind of chicken dinner I love having in my back pocket.

It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s all made in one pan, and the sauce is the sort of thing you’ll want to spoon over everything.

You’ve got juicy chicken, creamy coconut milk, fresh lime, ginger, garlic and a little chilli all coming together in one very flavour-packed sauce. And because the bok choy cooks right in the pan, you’ve got your vegetable sorted too.

The other thing I love about this recipe is that it feels a little bit special without actually being a big cooking project. You can get it on the table in about 25 minutes, which makes it exactly the sort of dinner I turn to on busy nights.

And that sauce? Creamy, tangy, savoury and just a little spicy. It’s really good.

Serve it over rice to soak up all that sauce and you’ve got an easy dinner that tastes like you put in far more effort than you actually did.

There are a few simple steps to this, but nothing complicated.

First, cook the chicken. Pat the chicken dry, season it well with salt and pepper, then give it a good golden sear in a hot skillet. Don’t rush this part. That colour on the chicken = flavour, and all those little browned bits left in the pan are going straight into the sauce.

Then cook the aromatics. Remove the chicken and add the onion to the same pan. Cook it until softened, scraping up those tasty chicken bits as you go. Add the fresh chilli, chilli flakes, ginger and garlic and cook just until fragrant.

Make the coconut lime sauce. Add the coconut milk, stock and fish sauce. Mix the lime juice and cornstarch together separately, then stir it into the pan. This is what gives you that lovely creamy sauce without needing a long cooking time.

Add the bok choy and chicken. Once the sauce has thickened, add the bok choy and return the chicken to the pan, along with any juices that collected on the plate. Just a couple of minutes is all you need here. You want the bok choy tender, but still with a little crunch.

And that’s it.

Spoon everything over rice, scatter over some fresh coriander, add lime wedges and dinner is done.

There are a few easy ways to change this up depending on what you have and what you’re in the mood for.

Use chicken thighs – I use chicken breasts here, but boneless, skinless chicken thighs work too. They’re a little richer and very juicy. Just keep in mind they may need a little extra cooking time.

Make it more or less spicy – The fresh chilli and chilli flakes give this a gentle kick. For a milder version, keep the chilli seeds out as written. If you like heat, add a little more chilli or chilli flakes.

Add more vegetables – Bell peppers, spinach or snap peas are all good additions. Just add them with the bok choy so they cook until tender but still have some bite.

Change the stock – Vegetable stock keeps the sauce light, while chicken stock gives it a slightly richer savoury flavour. Both work well.

No fish sauce? Soy sauce or tamari can be used instead. The flavour will be a little different, but you’ll still get that savoury depth in the sauce.

A few little things make a big difference here.

Pat the chicken dry. This helps it actually brown in the skillet instead of releasing moisture and steaming.

Get the pan properly hot. You want that first side of the chicken to develop a nice golden crust. Don’t keep moving it around the pan.

Use the same pan for everything. This is one of the best parts of the recipe. The browned chicken bits left behind become part of the sauce, so you get extra flavour without any extra work.

Don’t burn the garlic. Ginger and garlic only need about a minute once they hit the pan. You want them fragrant, not brown.

Mix the cornstarch first. Stir the cornstarch into the lime juice before adding it to the sauce. It only takes a few seconds and helps prevent lumps.

Don’t overcook the bok choy. It only needs 1–2 minutes at the end. I like it when it’s just tender but still has some crunch.

And don’t forget the chicken juices. When you return the chicken to the skillet, pour in any juices that have collected on the plate. There’s flavour in there!

This is a pretty forgiving recipe, but there are a few things worth avoiding.

Don’t skip the sear on the chicken. Pale chicken won’t give you the same flavour, and you’ll miss out on all those tasty browned bits for the sauce.

Don’t overcrowd the pan. Give the chicken enough room to brown properly.

Don’t add the cornstarch straight into the sauce. Mix it with the lime juice first. Otherwise you can end up with little lumps of cornstarch floating around your lovely creamy sauce.

Don’t boil the sauce aggressively. A gentle simmer is enough to thicken it.

Don’t cook the bok choy for too long. It should still have some texture when you serve it.

And don’t walk away from the sauce! It only takes a few minutes to thicken, so keep an eye on it. You want creamy and spoonable, not overly thick.

Got leftovers? Lucky you.

Transfer the chicken and sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

The sauce will thicken a little once chilled, so when reheating, add a small splash of water or stock if needed. Reheat gently on the stovetop until the chicken is hot and the sauce is creamy again.

I wouldn’t crank up the heat here. Gentle reheating is the way to go so you don’t dry out the chicken or make the sauce thicker than you want it.

Rice is my first choice here, simply because you need something to soak up that coconut lime sauce.

Spoon the chicken and plenty of sauce over hot rice, then finish with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime.

The extra lime is worth it. That little hit of freshness cuts through the richness of the coconut milk and makes all the flavours pop.

You could also serve it with extra vegetables on the side if you want to bulk out the meal, but honestly, with the bok choy already cooked into the dish and rice underneath, this is a pretty complete dinner.

And make sure you get plenty of sauce on the plate. That’s the best bit!